Speed-check.



F. S. HOWELL.

SPEED. CHECK.

APPLIOATION FILED 213.25, 1914.

1,1 10,784. Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Inventor,

Attorneys.

. To all whom it may concern:

UNITED sT EsPAT NT OFFICE.

FRANK S. HOWELL, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

SPEED-CHECK.

' Be it known that I, FRANK S. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, hav'e'invented a new :yand useful Speed-Check, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to speed checks, its object being to automatically limit the speed of a vehicle or other structure propelled by a hydro-carbon motor or an electric motor.

Another object is to provide means whereby any predetermined speed can be used as a limit so that, when said speed is reached, the motor will be rendered inactive.

' A further object is to provide a speed check which is. simple and compact in construction, can be applied readily to' either of-order. I

With the foregoing and other objects 1n 4 the details of construction hereinafter dethe running gear or to the body of a motor vehicle, and which will not easily get out view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combinatlon and arrangement of parts and 1n [scribed and claimed, it being understood that ;,changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of-what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

t In the. accompanying drawings the preferred form of. theinvention has been shown. i

' longitudinalsection "through- .,,the speed check, the wiring'being shown in-diagram. Fig. 2 isan end; elevation of the. -,-device and showing theindicating' dial, i 1 1 Referring to the figures by ch ara ters of reference 1 designates the casing of the structure constituting the present nven- 'tion. This casing is preferably cylindrical with .i-oneend closed, While the other end. or the casing is provided with coarse in-.- lterior screw threads *2 adapted to"be en 'gaged 'bythe threadedexterio'r'of a screw cap 3. A-ring 4 may he -formed with or secured to the cap 3 in any suitable manner, this ringbeing preferably-concentric with the cap and having "a' flange 5 extending around and spaced from the side of the cap so that the wall of the casing 1 is thus free to enter between-the cap and the flange 5.

A pointer or index 6 may be secured to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 821,105.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

casing was to extend partly over the ring 4, this pointer being used in connection with a series of numerals or the like designating the various speed limits to which the check may be adjusted. The flange 5 may be provided with an annular series of apertures 7 any one of which is adapted to receive the tumbler 8 of a lock 9. This lock can be of any preferred construction and it has not been deemed necessary to enter into a detailed description thereof or to illustrate it in detail. The lock is utilized for the purpose of fastening the screw cap 3 against rotation after it has been adjusted to bring any one of the numerals to position back of the pointer or index 6.

shaft 14 extends through the sleeve and is journaled in one end of the casing 1, this shaft being provided with a gear 15 adapted to. be actuated in any suitable manner. Shaft 14 has a collar 16 to which are pivoted the Weighted arms 17 of a centrifugal governor, these weighted arms being connected,

by links 18,-to a flange 19 extending from the sleeve 13. A spring '20 is mounted on sleeve 13 and bears at one end against the flange 19 and at its other end against the collar16, this spring thus operating to hold the flange 19 normally pressed against the partition; 12 and the disk 14 normally ::pressed away fromfthe contact 11.

Asshown in'Fig, '2, the casing' l as well as the generator'21 isgrounded to the frame 22 of the motor vehicle and a lead 23 connects the strip 10 tothe ignition system.

It will be apparent that the rotation of the gear 15 will result in the rotation of shaft 1.4 and the weighted arms 17 will thus be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force,.

this movement being resisted by the spring 20. When the speed of rotation of the gear reaches a predetermined degree, the disk 12 will be shifted by the sleeve 13 and the centrifugal governor, so as to come against the contact 11. Thls w1l l immediately result in short circuiting the ignition system so that the vehicle cannot attain any greater speed through energy imparted by the engine.

' When, however, the speed of the vehicle diminishes, the governor is shifted toward its normal position by spring 20 and disk 12 wviIl be moved away from the contact 11,

thus again placing the ignition system in circuit' and perm'ittingthe engine to drive the vehicle as before. I I

It is to be understood that if the vehicle is equip ed with a battery timing system, it woul benec'essaryto employ four contacts Ilinsteadof the one shown.

Obviously by mounting the contact 11 upon the adjustablecap 3,fsaid contactcan be shifted toward or from the partition 12.si1n the cap. As before stated,..

Ply by e numerals-can be arranged on thecap for the purpose of indicting speed limits. The parts I are-so proportioned that when any one of the numerals. is brought to position back of the index .or pointer '6, the said numeral will indicate the limit of speed at which the vehicle may. be driven ;v While the device hereindescribed is espe cially designed for use in connection withmotor vehicles, it is" to be understood that'it can be used-for checking the speed of any element such as a drive shaft or the like pro- "qll' r i e motor. p What Isclaimed is-- y it can also check short pglled by a hydro-carbon motor.

utilized efiiciently as a means for ing the-speed ofan'electric vehicle by I m-In a-speed heck, a centrifugally con-. trolled switch including a casing, 21 revoluble disk, a governor for shifting the disk alongits axis of rotation,',a contact in the path of the disk, and a capclosing one end of the casing, said cap beingmovable to adjustthe contact to vary the gap between the contact and disk.

2. Ina speed check, aycentrifugally controlled switch including a casing, a revolu- ""ble disk, a governor for shifting the disk along its axis ofrotation, a contact in the path of the disk, a cap closing one end of the "in the presence of casing, said cap being movable to adjust the contact to vary the gap between the contact and'disk," and means upon the casing and cap for indicating the extent of adjustmentof the contact.

3. In a speed check a centrifugally con-' trolled switch including a casing, a dis mounted for rotation therein, a centrifugal governor for shifting the disk along its axis of rotation, means for rotating the disk and govern0r,a revoluble cap adjustablf engaging the casing, and a contact carrie thereby and projecting into the path of the .disk, said cap being revoluble to vary the gapbetween the contact and disk., e

4. In a speed check a 'centrifugally controlled switch including a casing, a disk mounted for rotation therein, a centrifugal governor for shifting the disk along its axis of rotation, means for rotating the disk and governor, a revoluble cap adjustably engaging the casing, a contact carried thereby and projecting into the path of the disk, said cap v contact and disk, and cooperating means I upon the cap and casing for indicating the.

being revoluble to vary the gap between the speed at which the device is set.

5. In a speed check a centrifugally con Itrolled switch including a casing, a disk mounted for rotationthereln, a centrifugal governor for shifting the disk along its axis or rotation, means for rotating the disk and "governor, a revoluble cap adj ustably engaging the casing, a contact carried thereby and projecting into the path of the disk, said cap being revoluble to vary the upon the cap and casing for locking-said cap against rotation In testimony that 1 claim my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature two witnesses.

Witnesses JOHN S. VALLELY, WVALno E. PALMER.

I gap betweenthe contact and disk, -and cooperating means FRANK S. HOWELL.

theforegomgas' 

